What does a tick that has fully burrowed under the skin look like? - briefly
A fully engorged tick under the skin presents as a small, raised, dome‑shaped bump, typically pink or flesh‑colored, with a dark central point where the mouthparts are embedded. The surrounding area may show slight redness or irritation, while the tick itself remains invisible externally.
What does a tick that has fully burrowed under the skin look like? - in detail
A tick that has completely embedded itself beneath the epidermis no longer presents the typical engorged, dark‑brown body seen on the surface. The visible portion is reduced to a small, pale, dome‑shaped bump, often described as a “tick plug.” The surrounding skin may show a slight erythema or a faint halo, but the reaction can be minimal, especially in early stages.
Key visual characteristics:
- Size: The external protrusion measures 1–2 mm in diameter, roughly the size of a pinhead.
- Color: Light tan or whitish, contrasting with the surrounding skin tone.
- Shape: Smooth, rounded, and slightly raised; the surface may feel firm to the touch.
- Texture: The overlying skin is intact; there is no obvious puncture wound, only a subtle indentation where the mouthparts are hidden.
- Surrounding changes: Possible mild redness, occasional itching, or a small area of swelling; in some cases, a central punctum (tiny opening) may be visible.
Additional clues that the parasite is fully burrowed:
- Absence of movement: The tick is immobile and does not shift when the skin is palpated.
- Lack of a visible body: Only the mouthparts and a small crown remain exposed.
- Delayed reaction: The host’s immune response may not develop for several hours to days, leaving the lesion relatively unchanged.
When these signs are observed, the tick is likely in the feeding phase, having inserted its hypostome into the dermal layer. Prompt removal with fine‑point tweezers, grasping as close to the skin as possible, reduces the risk of pathogen transmission. After extraction, the bite site should be cleaned, monitored for expanding redness, and evaluated for potential infection.